VA isn't mine, sadly.
Rpov
The world had stopped spinning. It stopped. All of it just suddenly stopped. The patterns the whispers the music. It all faded. And I really wish it hadn't. Because now, even though I technically wasn't high anymore it still felt like I was. And boy was I having a bad trip. I could vaguely tell the faces of the others in the room but their conversation didn't seem to reach me. The floor did, it felt like claws was coming from the ground to grip my ankles and hold me still till hell consumed me. Meanwhile my body felt like it was falling apart. I couldn't feel any of my limps yet I was very aware that they were there. And then then there was my head. And my head was the worst of all because it felt like there was someone walking around in there and decorating while humming this awful tune; we are coming to get you. We are coming to get you. I felt terrified because I didn't know who we was and I hated that, hated not knowing. Meanwhile my inner irritated voice was telling me it would all go away with a little bite from a certain someone. It said no matter the price it was worth it. And I kept telling it to shut up but it never did.
Lpov
It was sunrise. Sunrise was our cue, now our plan would begin. I saw the other bed was used but empty and figured Victor would be at breakfast so I went down to join him.
"Excuse me miss?" The clerk asked as I walked by.
"Yes?" He pointed his pen in the other direction.
"You came in with that elder gentleman, right? He asked for a conference room, it is down that way, room 0176." He informed me and I thanked him and went down there, opened the door and steeped into a freaking warzone. Okay so maybe that was overrated but there was definitely a lot of chaos. Victor stood by the board quietly watching while 14 people argued what was the best thing to do. I went over to him figuring he would have a report of the situation.
"What is going on?" I asked when I reached him, he smirked, clearly enjoying this.
"They are arguing whatever or not to do it now or wait till midnight. Now we have a good escape option but at night there might be less strigoi in the house… it is a hard decision." He explained and I sighed, feeling like we were wasting precious time. While I talked to Victor someone came over. Someone I had meet before.
"Lord Dashkov, Princess." He greeted before getting down to business. "We seem to all agree it would be best to do it at sunset, then we will know how many have left and that might help estimate how many is left in the house." He informed us.
"Then what are you still arguing about?" I asked needing to know why we wasn't planning. He smiled at me and had the situation been different it would have been damn sexy.
"It seems they have different views on where to enter. Don't worry, we'll figure it out." He told me with a smirk. He made a move to leave but I stopped him.
"Calvin?" He raised a brow.
"Yes?" I paused trying to find the right words.
"Thank you for doing this but.. How did you know?" it seemed like one hell of a coincidence that Rose's academy buddy was guarding one of Victors fans.
"We generally share more blood than you like to think, Princess. Dhampirs and Moroi. Now if I was a moroi you would be calling me cousin, but I am not, so Calvin will do just fine." He walked away before I got to ask him what he meant so I turned to Victor instead.
"What did he mean by that?" Victor shook his head.
"Isn't that obvious? You got your name and your bloodline from your father Vasilisa. Calvin got his from his mother, like all dhampirs do but that doesn't mean his family three isn't as great as yours." I frowned.
"His father was royal?" Victor nodded.
"Yes. If our world wasn't like it is I would be proud calling guardian Mecury my nephew, but unfortunately that isn't how it is." He looked me over while I progressed the fact that Calvin, who Rose trusted with her life, was in fact closely related to Victor.
"You seem well rested. That is good, you'll need it when we go in to save you shadow kissed guardian." He informed me and I felt all those disappointed feelings return.
"She isn't my guardian." He raised a brow.
"And you believe that is still true when we have saved her from the undead?" I looked down not daring to hope.
"You think she will leave Rufus when this is over?" Victor shook his head.
"I think her loyalty has always been with you." He said cryptically, then he turned his attention from me and onto the building plan in front of him, trying to figure out the best way in.
Dpov
The only different thing about our situation was Rose. She was very different. The drugs was wearing off, unfortunately that left Rose in an even worse state than before. Donovan had visited a few times, trying to convince her to turn by bribing her with the promise of a bite. The first few times I don't even think she heard him but the last two she definitely had, and while she had refused to be turned she had also begged to be bit. I wasn't sure how much longer she would stand if the drugs didn't leave her system soon.
We were still bickering, trying to figure a way out but no one was coming up with anything.
"Please!" Rose's voice cut through making us all turn silent.
"please just get me bite! Please I'll do anything!" She begged, tears forming at the corner of her eye.
"Rose shut up!" Christian snapped. He was hungry, really hungry from being starved of blood, and her asking, no begging for it was testing his patience.
"Don't yell at her." I scolded halfheartedly when in reality I was having a hard time with her pleas myself.
"Rose?" Adrian called softly again. She didn't react at first so he tried again. This time she opened her eyes to look straight at him. He flashed her a smile with fangs and all.
"Hi little dhampir." He coed and she smiled, it was soft and expecting like a kid knowing this was the way to the ice-cream store.
"You are a vampire." She observed as if realizing for the first time. Adrian kept smiling at her.
"That I am."
"Could you bite me?" she asked almost seducingly and I felt my stomach turn.
"I could," he stated, looking as she lit up "but I am a little tied up right now as you can see." He nodded to his restraints and she frowned in disappointment.
"Look I tell you what Rose." He called softly and she gave him her full attention again. "If you get us out of here, all the way out, then I will give you a bite okay?" he promised her and she smiled while I glared at him. She turned quiet, looking around seeming to think. Adrian looked around to see us all shooting daggers at him.
"What?" he asked in fake ignorance. "It doesn't hurt to have her thing about it." He argued and we all looked away not wanting to discuss it. She wouldn't find a way out anyway, she was too drugged. My grandmother once said those who crave a thing so much it is like they are missing some of their soul, will eventually always find a way to get it. I think she was talking about my father at the time so I didn't think much of it since. Not until I watched as Rose threw all her energy into raising both legs in the air, twisting so they were behind the chair where her hands were tied and a few moments later she was free. She ran to Adrian first, pulling out a bobby pen she must have forgotten about and somehow using it to open his flexicuffs.
"You can use shoelaces too." She told him, matter of factly, indicating for him to help us which he did. Meanwhile she pulled her chair into the center off the room and stood on it so she could reach the hatch to the ventilation system. With that same bobby pen she unscrewed the hatch and opened up our way to freedom. As soon as we were all free she pulled herself up into the shaft, Adrian following straight after and one by one we filled in. It seemed able to carry us all, and it was remarkably easier to manage in. At least that is what I thought. We had climbed up two stories when we got to a partway. Rose went right not even seeming to think about it but Michael insisted on going left.
"We saw the place when we came in, we definitely need to go left or we'll get caught in here." He explained but Rose didn't even stop. That left us with a choice: go right and stay together, or let Rose do her and hope she wouldn't get caught again. I looked back at Christian and Vika who was behind me. He was doing better than she but both were in a bad shape. I couldn't afford to let them use that extra energy on nothing.
"We are going left, I'll get Rose."
"No don't." Adrian called.
"I am going after her, with a little luck we'll see you guys at the motel, just focus on getting out." The guardians between us moved down so at one point I got up beside Adrian who was sitting in the partway.
"You are sure about this?" I asked, knowing this might just be the death of him. He shrugged with an easy smile.
"She got us out didn't she? Who knows, she might just be right again." I seriously doubted that but let him follow her anyway, at least that way someone was with her. The rest of us followed Michael. He seemed to have a good sense of the direction so nothing felt off until we heard voices. Above us was a conference taking place. And it was filled with strigoi, strigoi who would hear any movement we'd make – fuck.
A-pov
"So, little dhampir, you are sure of this?" I asked as we casually crawled through the shaft. She just nodded and lead us in further. Suddenly she stopped, seeming to be listening intensely before moving again. We got to an end wall, the only way was up but someone had attacked a kind of steps for a reparation man to come through and we used those to climb up. Rose stopped above me, having found a hatch where a little light seemed to come in. She unscrewed it like she had the other, it took time and my arms started to hurt but she was persistent and finally got it open. Then she squeezed through, pulled herself out and helped me. It was a tight fit, I almost worried I would get stuck but Rose kept me calm and told me which limps to move when. Finally, we were both trough and I looked around. That is the first time I noticed. We were outside. Sitting on grass behind an old mansion looking at the sky. It was day but it wouldn't be long before the sun set. We had to move. Rose frowned seemingly making the same conclusion but hesitated.
"The others aren't out." She said quietly looking at the building. I put my hand on her shoulder.
"They'll be, they are a team of hardcore guardians, They'll have a much better chance than us. Now come on, we need to move." I nudged her and she reluctantly got up. She looked around briefly then made a decision.
"This way." She ordered and started walking into the woods. I looked back at the road we had come from, wanting to follow that instead but then remember she got us out after all. I really hoped I was right about following her instinct though.
Lpov
This was it. This was the moment, I knew. Either I would ide or my life would forever be changed.
"Ready?" Viktor asked beside me where he was tying the laces of his boots.
"You are going in?" I asked utterly confused. He had helped gather people together who could help but I would never have expected that he would throw himself into the lion's cave. He shrugged.
"if an old bastard like Rufus Tarus can cold a stance against two strigoi then I sure as hell can too." I can imagine my face must have shown complete shock because he chuckled.
"News like that make it to the exiled too Lissa. If you aren't ready get it, it is going to be though ride." Calvin came over just then, his focus on me.
"We have estimated the number to be about 13 strigoi left in the house, a few humans might put up a fight too but we are prepared and they aren't. They'll be just moments after we break in though and it's dark.." he trailed off and I nodded knowing what he was thinking of.
"No sunlight." He nodded then reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun and a stake.
"Use the gun first, if it is a young one it'll give you time to escape, if it is an old one… Try using the stake." In reality we both knew that if it was an old one neither weapon would help me stand a chance but it helped me feeling less helpless and he knew that. False security. I looked at victor again who surprisingly was watching me too. Finally he came over, reaching for my shoulder but then deciding not to, sensing my discomfort at the thought of him touching me.
"There is more to your element Lissa, it isn't just healing wounds and walking dreams." Was his final words of comfort before the guardians signaled we were ready.
"Stay behind." Calvin ordered me quietly but deadly before they moved in. Everything that happened after that was a scene from a bad dream. They had split up, about three guardians and a fire user in each group attacked simultaneously from different entrances. I didn't see what happened, I just heard the screams. Following after like I was told I walked in to see human bodies covering the floor. They had meet human guards first, and showed no mercy shooting them down. I followed after the trail deeper into the mansion and into the cellar. I walked down the stairs and straight into a fight scene like no other, not even when they had rescued me and Christian from Dimitri. Then the strigoi had been placed on different levels, spreading the fight out. This time they seemed to be having a meeting in a rather exclusive dining hall before we interrupted. I barely had time to register all this before a strigoi threw himself at me. I shrieked and pulled the gun, shooting him three times which surprised him but only for a moment. I knew the stake wouldn't help, I was done. Then I remembered Victors words: There is more to your element, it isn't just healing wounds and walking dreams
I focused everything I had in me against the strigoi in that moment and watched him fly back, like he had hit and invisible wall. Telekinesis. I could move things with my mind, or at least I thought I could. I tried throwing him against the wall but it didn't work. When he came at me again through he seemed to hit that same invisible wall and I realized I could make shields. The life in my magic prevented him from actually touching me. I smirked, for the first time feeling like I had the upper hand. Grabbing the stake Calvin had given me tightly. I waited until the strigoi threw himself at me again, then used my body weight as I lunged forward and let the stake hit him as he hit the wall again. He flew back as the shield rejected him and took me with him, the force of the fall made the stake pierce trough him completely. There was no bright light this time. The stake wasn't charmed and so I was lying on top of a dead body.
I had just staked a strigoi, all by myself. I got up quickly, looking around to see everyone busy with their own fights so I jumped in to help where I could. A guardian I didn't know the name off was having trouble with a very old strigoi, being cornered against the wall and having little room to move. I hurried up behind them with my stake, the strigoi of course saw me coming and tried to attack me, presuming he could finish me off quickly and get back to the guardian. He didn't expect meeting my spirit shield and that was the opening the guardian needed to stake him in the back.
"What the hell was that?" he panted, having fought a long time.
"Spirit, figured you could use the distraction." I told him briefly. He nodded gratefully.
"Thank you, princess." I shook my head.
"Just Lissa." He smiled a small wry smile.
"Thank you just Lissa, I am just Daniel." He told me, making a small joke before helping the other guardians as I turned to do the same. We were doing a good job, these guardians were better trained than anyone I had ever seen before, except for Rose and Dimitri, but more strigoi seemed to keep coming. One snuck up behind me, and I turned just in time to lock eyes with him.
"Stop!" I ordered, impressed by the strength of the word. I didn't even have time to think about the amount of compulsion I put in it. He stopped, eyes glazing over and I knew I had him in the palm of my hand.
"Attack the other strigoi, don't stop till they are dead." I ordered, feeling the power flow through me. While nothing dhampirs or moroi did could shock strigoi right now, another strigoi attacking his own definitely did. The one I had compelled probably ripped the head of a few, while the distraction was enough for the guardians to quickly take down the rest, eventually him too. The fight quieted down but there were still screams coming. I couldn't figure out were from, the only thing that told me they weren't in my head was the others looking around for the source as well. I didn't get to see it. I fell to my knees in exhaustion, passing out right then and there on the floor, slightly cursing myself for using so much magic without thinking.
Bam! I am so glad that you liked the last chapter and I hope you love this one too!
On another note: Do you think Rose should leave Rufus for Lissa?
Please review!